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Cub Scout badges which help to develop empathy

From learning how to recycle properly, to helping around the house, to sitting down with someone whose beliefs differ from their own - here are five Cub Activity Badges which help young people put empathy into practice.

Covering everything from recyclables to renewable energy, the Environmental Activity Badge boosts young people’s empathy for our fragile and precious planet by asking them to consider the impact of human behaviour on future generations, and empowering them to make positive changes today.

Unless they have friends or family members with a disability, young people may not have the chance to learn much about disability from other sources. This badge seeks to change that. By exploring what it means to ‘be disabled’ and unpacking some of the myths and misunderstandings around the topic, it encourages young people to consider those who have different needs to their own.

It might not seem like the most obvious link, but gardening can lay the groundwork for empathy. Planting seeds and watching them grow – for example – gives young people a sense of purpose and responsibility, while making sure that the plants get enough water and sun fosters mindfulness and a deep sense of duty and care towards all living things.

Understanding how a household is run and dividing tasks accordingly is a lesson in everyday empathy. By taking on their fair share of the household chores and learning how to perform some basic upkeep, young people gain an insight into the important but often invisible work that makes a house a home, walking away from the experience with a shiny new perspective.

Conversation has the power to open our minds and hearts, challenging stereotypes and prejudices through dialogue. By meeting someone who has a different set of beliefs to their own as part of their World Faith Activity Badge, young people get to try on someone else’s shoes and walk around in them for a little while - boosting their empathy skills, and learning something new in the process.